Yang Style Tai Chi

The Yang style is the most common style that is practiced. This is due to it’s continually slow pace throughout the form which differs from the Chen style below which has both slow and fast parts.

Style trademarks:

• Fingers are spread lightly through most of the postures
• Rear foot is at 45 degrees during Bow stance which keeps you in a neutral position
• All movements are slow, soft and circular
• Hooks are loose and all fingers lightly touch the palm
• Punches are relaxed and held loosely
• Forms and Postures

The originator of the Yang-style Tai Chi Chuan was Yang Luchan (1800-1873) from Yongnian in Hebei Province. Yang went to learn Tai Chi from Chen Changxing in the Chenjia Valley as a boy. When grown up, he returned to his native town to teach the art. To suit the need of common people, Yang Luchan made some changes, and dropped some highly difficult moves, such as force irritating, broad jumps and foot thumping. His son shortened the routine which was further simplified by his grandson. The grandson’s form of the Yang-style Tai Chi Chuan was later taken as the protocol of the Yang-style Chuan. Because of its comfortable postures, simplicity and practicability, this form has become the most popular routine for exercise and practice.

The Yang style features agreeable movements and actions combining hardness, softness and naturalness. When practicing, practitioners should relax to form softness which transforms into hardness thus combining the hard and the soft. The Yang-styk Tai Chi Quan is divided into three sub routines, namely high-posture, middle-posture and low-posture routines all with comfortable and agreeable movements and actions. The Yang Style Tai Chi was known by the name “Da Jia” (“big frame”).

Yang 103 Posture Traditional Long Form

1. Preparation
2. Beginning
3. Grasp the Sparrow’s Tail (Ward Off, Left; Ward Off, Right; Roll Back; Press; Push)
4. Single Whip
5. Lift Hands
6. White Crane Spreads it’s Wings
7. Brush Knee, Left and Step
8. Play the Lute
9. Brush Knee, Left and Step
10. Brush Knee, Right and Step
11. Brush Knee, Left and Step
12. Play the Lute
13. Brush Knee, Left and Step
14. Step Up, Block, Parry and Punch
15. Apparent Close-up
16. Cross Hands
17. Carry Tiger to Mountain
18.Fist Under Elbow
19. Repulse Monkey, Right
20. Repulse Monkey, Left
21. Repulse Monkey, Right
22. Diagonal Flying
23. Lift Hands and Step Up
24. White Crane Spreads it’s Wings
25. Left Brush Knee, Left and Step
26. Needle at Sea Bottom
27. Fan Through Back
28. Turn Body and Flip Fist Past Body
29. Step Up, Block, Parry and Punch
30. Step Up and Grasp the Sparrow’s Tail (Ward Off, Left; Ward Off, Right; Roll Back; Press; Push)
31. Single Whip
32. Cloud Hands (1)
33. Cloud Hands (2)
34. Cloud Hands (3)
35. Single Whip
36. High Pat Horse
37. Separate Foot, Right
38. Left Separate Foot, Left
39. Turn Body, Heel Kick, Left
40. Brush Knee, Left and Step
41. Brush Knee, Right and Step
42. Step Up and Punch Down
43. Turn Body and Flip Fist Past Body
44. Step Up, Block, Parry and Punch
45. Heel Kick, Right
46. Left Strike Tiger, Left
47. Right Strike Tiger, Right
48. Turn Body, Heel Kick, Right
49. Two Peaks Box Ears
50. Heel Kick, Left
51. Turn Body, Heel Kick, Right
52. Step Up, Block, Parry and Punch
53. Apparent Close-Up

Yang 108 Posture Long Form

First Section:

1. Preparation (Standing Wu Chi, Compose oneself, Head up, Arms at sides, Feet together, Relax)
2. Beginning
3. Ward-Off, Left
4. Grasp the Sparrow’s Tail (Ward Off, Left; Ward Off, Right; Roll Back; Press; Push)
5. Single Whip
6. Lift Hands, Shoulder Strike
7. White Crane Spreads it’s Wings
8. Brush Knee, Left and Step
9. Play the Lute
10. Brush Knee, Left and Twist Step
11. Brush Knee, Right and Twist Step
12. Brush Knee, Left and Step
13. Play the Lute
14. Brush Knee, Left and Step
15. Step Up, Block, Parry and Punch
16. Apparent Close-up
17. Cross Hands

Second Section:

18. Carry Tiger to Mountain
19. Grasp the Sparrow’s Tail (Ward Off, Left; Ward Off, Right; Roll Back; Press; Push)
20. Fist Under Elbow
21. Repulse Monkey, Right
22. Repulse Monkey, Left
23. Repulse Monkey – Right
24. Diagonal Flying
25. Lift Hands, Shoulder Strike
26. White Crane Spreads it’s Wings
27. Brush Knee, Left and Step
28. Needle at Sea Bottom
29. Fan Through the Back
30. Turn, Chop with Fist
31. Step Up, Block, Parry and Punch
32. Ward-Off, Left
33. Grasp the Sparrow’s Tail (Ward Off, Left; Ward Off, Right; Roll Back; Press; Push)
34. Single Whip
35. Cloud Hands
36. Single Whip
37. High Pat Horse
38. Kick with Right Toe
39. Kick with Left Toe
40. Turn, Kick with Left Sole
41. Brush Knee, Left and Step
42. Brush Knee, Right and Step
43. Step Up and Punch Downward
44. Turn, Chop with Fist
45. Step Up, Block, Parry and Punch
46. Kick with Right Sole
47. Strike Tiger, Left Side
48. Strike Tiger, Right Side
49. Kick with Right Sole
50. Strike Opponent’s Ears with Fists
51. Kick with Left Sole
52. Pivot Around, Kick with Right Sole
53. Step Up, Block, Parry and Punch
54. Apparent Close-up
55. Cross Hands

Yang Extended Short Form

1. Preparation
2. Beginning
3. Grasp the Sparrow’s Tail (Ward Off, Left; Ward Off, Right; Roll Back; Press; Push)
4. Single Whip
5. Lift Hands
6. White Crane Spreads it’s Wings
7. Brush Knee, Left
8. Play the Lute
9. Brush Knee, Left and Twist Step
10.Step Up, Block, Parry and Punch
11. Withdraw and Push
12. Cross Hands
13. Carry Tiger to Mountain
14. Roll Back
15. Press
16. Push
17. Fist Under Elbow
18. Repulse Monkey, Right
19. Repulse Monkey, Left
20. Repulse Monkey, Right
21. Diagonal Flying w/ Knee Strike
22. Play the Lute
23. White Crane Spreads it’s Wings
24. Brush Knee, Left and Twist Step
25. Needle at Sea Bottom
26. Fan through Back
27. White Snake Puts Out Tongue
28. Roll Back
29. Press
30. Push
31. Single Whip
32. Wave Hands Like Clouds, Right
33. Wave Hands Like Clouds, Left

Yang 37 Posture Short Form (also known as Cheng Short Form)

1. Preparation – also known as wu chi
2. T’ai Chi Beginning
3. Ward Off, Left (Postures 3 through 7 are known as “Grasp the Sparrow’s Tail”)
4. Ward Off, Right
5. Roll Back (excellent defensive posture)
6. Press
7. Push
8. Single Whip (an excellent posture for chi circulation)
9. Raise Hands
10. Shoulder Stroke (a great inside fighting technique)
11. White Crane Spreads it’s Wings
12. Brush Knee, Left
13. Play the Lute (Repeat Brush Knee, Left)
14. Step Up and Block
15. Parry and Punch
16. Apparent Close-up (also called “Withdraw and Push”)
17. Crossed Hands
18. Carry Tiger to Mountain (This is followed by Roll Back, Press, Push; then Single Whip.)
19. Fist Under Elbow (a good stance to practice one-legged rooting)
20. Repulse Monkey, Right
21. Repulse Monkey, Left (Follow with three more repetitions of Repulse Monkey: Right, Left, and Right.)

Yang 49 Posture Competition Form

Preparation
1. T’ai Chi Beginning
2. Grasp the Sparrow’s Tail
3. Single whip
4. Cloud Hands (repeat 3 times)
5. Single Whip
6. High Pat Horse
7. Right Separate Foot
8. Left Separate Foot
9. Turn Body, Left Heel Kick
10. Brush Knee, Left and Step
11. Play the Lute
12. High Pat Horse with Palm Thrust
13. Turn Body and Cross Kick
14. Left Strike Tiger
15. Right Strike Tiger
16. Turn Body Right Heel Kick
17. Two Peaks Box Ears
18. Left Heel Kick
19. Turn Body and Flip Fist Past Body
20. Step Forward and Punch Groin
21. Apparent Close-up
22. Cross Hands
23. Carry Tiger to Mountain
24. Diagonal Single Whip
25. Fist Under Elbow

Yang Simplified 24 Posture Short Form

1. T’ai Chi Beginning
2. Wild Horse Parts Mane (3 times)
3. White Crane Spreads it’s Wings
4. Brush Knee and Push (3 times)
5. Play the Lute
6. Repulse Monkey (4 times)
7. Grasp the Swallow’s Tail, Left
8. Grasp the Swallow’s Tail, Right
9. Single Whip
10. Cloud Hands
11. Single Whip
12. High Pat the Horse